It has been ages since I have written here, and if you ask me why I don’t even think I have an answer. It has been a long three years, to be honest. And ironically it is also three years since I let my mind wander here. It is three years since I left my island (metaphorically and literally) and landed in this landlocked wind-swept prairie place. If I really wanted to bore everyone I would make a grand list of crap I have learned in these years. But let us not go there.
I started this blog in 2011, when blogging was still a Big Thang and I was an avid follower of some really good ones. I had a 6 year old and a 4 year old and needed a creative outlet where I could spill my guts and sometimes even interact with other adults in a virtual-reality-kinda-way. I wanted to be funny and crafty and crunchy-granola-mama like the other bloggers I read who eventually went on to get book deals and make a living just by living and blogging about it.
When I look back at my posts I realize my whole blog persona was tied up in raising kids in a big old draughty beautiful farmhouse with a big messy garden and amazing neighbours and an ocean five minutes away. I grew vegetables and made jam and upcycled stuff into cool but probably under-appreciated gifts partly because subconsciously I knew we couldn’t afford to buy gifts due to the absolutely stunning amounts of money it took to keep a big draughty farmhouse heated in winter. Still, it was sweet how naive I was. And occasionally a bit twee as well.
Once we got replanted on the prairies, I did try to keep blogging but it hurt to change so much. Living in a housing co-op doesn’t inspire the same way, and I made a stab at a few posts in my ill-fated attempt to monetise the blog at http://livingbrilliant.blogspot.ca but my heart was never in it and I deserted my post pretty quickly there. So what is different?
It’s a new year. And once again I need an outlet. I am inspired by a blogger whose house-reno site I loved, who now just writes for the sake of writing and it is great gut-spilling real stuff. You can check her out at http://ritaottramstad.com.
So, my original purpose here was “Life, Family, Books.”
Well, all that and a bag of chips is ongoing. Life is very different from when I started. My girls are growing up fast, so fast I blinked and one is almost as tall as me and has bigger feet. We could share shoes but she says my clogs are not worth borrowing. Books are the constant in my life, always have been and always will be. I am still reading British fluff non-stop but I am thrilled to have gotten one of The Bloggess Jenny Lawson’s books for Christmas. Now THERE is a blog overflowing with brutal honesty and lotsa swear words well-said. While my vocabulary certainly has diversified in the past couple of years (thanks, co-workers) I cannot match Jenny’s level of foul-tongued hilarity that hurts.
Anyhow. Just to demonstrate my complete lack of focus, this post was supposed to be about what I learned in 2015. So there you go. I’m back, and my mind does wander as much as it ever did.
the mind does wander 
Happy you are back writing!!! Love you way with words.
Oh, Stephanie–I am so glad to read these words! I had just discovered your blog when you moved, so I didn’t get to read much of your writing. I started reading this entry, and who you are suddenly clicked in my head. I think there are likely many parallels in our journey over the past three years. I never lived in a big old draughty farmhouse (but oh, how I’ve wanted to!), but I did long for the kind of life you describe, and I now think I was both naive and a bit twee, too. I wish I were still living in that sweeter space, but things change without our permission, don’t they?
I really hope you will keep writing here. Like Linda, I love your way with words.
I,too, am happy to see that you’re writing again! Looking forward to reading your posts.